Gilded Cage by Sherry D. Ficklin

Masie, the flaxen-haired daughter of notorious boot-legger Dutch Schultz, returns home from boarding school to find her family in crisis. Her mother is dangerously unstable, her father’s empire is on the brink of ruin, and the boy she once loved has become a ruthless killer for hire. To keep her family’s dangerous secrets Masie is forced into a lie that will change the course of her future—and leave her trapped in a gilded cage of her own making. As she watches her world fall apart, Masie must decide whether to take her place in the hierarchy, or spread her wings, leaving the people she loves, and the life she despises, far behind her.

Two worlds collide in Gatsby era New York, in a time of dazzling speakeasies and vicious shoot-outs, of gritty gangsters and iridescent ingénues, where not everything that sparkles is gold.

*This is the first of the Canary Club series and is a short story introduction into the forthcoming novels.

Wow. I was not prepared for my attention to be snared like it did. I typically have issues with fulfillment when it comes to shorts, but this was short, sweet and sealed the deal for me.

This novel takes place in the Gatsby Era, it follows Masie Schultz’s family. She has recently come home from boarding school due to a family emergency involving her mother. When she returns home she finds that life is much darker, things have changed while she’s been gone and her father’s club is in danger of flopping. More than that, his business, in general, has begun to threaten the family.

It is clear at once how Masie has remained fairly pristine and innocent due to the protection of the boarding school, while everyone seems more than a few shades darker and run down by the hardships of the life Dutch Schultz has sculpted for them.

Each character has a life of their own, they are full of depth and you are easily able to connect with them. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the ones that had me glaring at them. Really, Ficklin drew me in with her story writing, she sets the scenes so beautifully, immerses us in the world and allows us to connect with Masie above all else.

I can’t wait to read more. I found myself on the last page wanting more!